Dream in Crystalline
by Teri Neko
Summary: Her name is Irisa, and if she touches you she sees your memories. Every single one, even the ones you can't remember. A certain fire starter who fears his past befriends this girl with the poison skin. What can become of it? PyroxOC rated m for later chap
1. Chapter 1

The jet hummed loudly as Irisa sat in the chair, buckled up all safe and nice. Her black hair fell over her shoulder, shocking blue bangs falling into her eyes as she watched Storm and Logan operated the controls.

They hit some turbulence, making the jet bobble dangerously. Irisa grabbed the edge of her seat and whimpered. Storm glanced back with an apologetic look. After a moment the jet steadied and Irisa lessoned her grip.

"You okay back there kid?" Logan asked in his low and gravelly voice. She nodded but he couldn't see.

"Yeah," she answered in a small voice. Truth be told Irisa didn't much like flying. But her parents thought she'd be safest in the hands of the X-Men and their professor, Charles Xavier. After the attack on the president Irisa's parents feared the animosity and resentment of her peers and were glad the young girl could be among her own kind.

"We're coming up to the mansion now," Storm said, looking back at Irisa with snow-white eyes before turning back. "We just need a little cover."

A thick fog came rolling in and Irisa had to take a few deep breaths to calm her.

The jet sank gently onto its little landing pad and Storm turned off the engine. Both Logan and Storm took off their seatbelts. Irisa quickly reached into her pocked and pulled on her black fingerless gloves.

"Are you used to wearing those?" Storm asked in a gentle voice, brushing some shocking white hair out of her face with a gloved hand. Irisa nodded.

"I've had to," she said, unbuckling her seatbelts and standing. "For four years."

Logan nodded and opened a compartment next to her, taking out her messenger bag and her backpack, slinging them over his shoulder, walking down the ramp and into the mansion.

Storm put a reassuring arm over her shoulder. "Don't be nervous. First you meet with the professor. He just needs your name, birth date, school stuff, and the extent of your powers. Then I show you to your room and you can get settled in."

The weather goddess began steering Irisa toward the ramp. "You don't have classes until Monday. Everyone is still on their spring break."

Irisa nodded and followed Storm down the ramp and into the mansion. She tried to look around but all she saw was the jet hanger, and some gas pumps to fill her up when need be, and some tools that would be needed to fix any damage. But other than that it was a plain gray room. She wasn't allowed too much of a pause because of Storm's arm still around her shoulder.

She was lead into an elevator, bright white and almost blinding. Her black hair stood out most, like a beacon of darkness against the purity. It's how she felt sometimes, like a dangerous person. Like she could kill you if she wanted, and sometimes she did want to and she felt so guilty for it.

It was only a few seconds before the elevator doors opened again and Irisa was being steered out of it and into the hallway. The walls were simple wood, squares carved within them to be decorative. They were polished so they shone. For some reason it made Irisa think of a psychiatrists office, how it's supposed to look homey but instead it looks imprisoning.

She passed a group of students and Storm and Logan paused to speak with them.

"Bobby, John, what are you guys doing?" Storm asked with amusement alight in her voice. Both boys looked to the ground guiltily and were trying to hide the smiles that begged to come to the surface.

A young girl, no older than Irisa, ran up behind them, panting and hitting them playfully on the shoulders. Her hair was chocolate brown, but what Irisa found most memorable about her appearance was the two strips of pure white hair that hung in her face, framing it. For a moment Irisa wondered if the color was dyed or accidental. Everyone had such histories that were just waiting to unfold.

She bit the inside of her lip, hard, in order to scold herself for such thoughts. People's memories didn't belong to her and it wasn't her right to just go and take them, look at them.

One of the boys had blonde hair, cut short and curly. His eyes were piercing blue. Normally Irisa would find this attractive, but she couldn't for some reason. The other boy, the total opposite of what she found attractive, is the one that caught her eye.

His hair was brown, long but not ridiculous. Not longer than a female's. Not longer than hers. In fact, his hair curled slightly at the ends, brushing the nape of his neck and falling into his eyes, which were also brown. His eyes held a fire in them, like he just loved to be rebellious, the opposite of what everyone else says, thinks, and does. Despite herself Irisa felt her cheeks getting hot.

"New student Storm?" asked the one with the blonde hair, whom Storm addressed as Bobby. The other one must be John. Then who was the female?

"Yes," Storm said, tightening her grip on Irisa's shoulders. "Before she can meet you all formally she needs to meet with the professor. Excuse us, please."

Irisa was led down the hallway to a pair of large oak doors. Storm knocked twice and opened one of them, a hand on Irisa's lower back and pushing her inside.

The man behind the desk was bald, certainly not what Irisa expected. He looked younger, but not terribly young. He certainly had some aged wisdom just by the way he looked at her. She thought he was sitting in a chair, but a chair in an office like this would be grand, with a large back, maybe leather…

"You're deductions about me are fascinating," he said with a gentle smile. "You have quite the attention to detail. I would think that you were an artist or a writer with the sheer way you notice small things. Like my chair."

Irisa gave a small smile. He talked to her like she was his student, but oddly that gave her a homely feeling. Like he could be a father figure. But, she didn't know him nor did she trust him that much.

"Oh Irisa you can trust me," he said, still with that smile. It was like it was plastered on his lips.

_Does my smile unnerve you?_

She couldn't help but jump and gasp. He was a telepath. No wonder he kept answering the questions she asked herself inside her mind.

"No you're smile is just fine," she answered, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Irisa I have built this school to help mutants- special people such as yourself. This is a place where you should never feel left out; never feel unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. There are people like you here, and they have had worse outcomes than yourself. You're parents loved you, elected you to come here. Most of my students, if not more than half, are runaways."

Irisa bit her lip, fiddling with the elastic on her fingerless gloves.

"My point is, Irisa, is that no matter what you have gone through, you are welcome here. Some students may resent you, having had it much better than they have. But they are kind, and you will find your place here."

She nodded, still fiddling with the elastic.

"Now, can you tell me what your powers are?"

She sat silently for a moment, looking at him as he gazed back at her. She tried to find judgment in his eyes. Every human had that; judgment. About her hair, the way she dressed, or her demeanor alone. But she could not find judgment in his eyes. Instead they remained kind.

"When I touch people, I can see their memories. From the moment of their birth to right this second. Everything they can't remember or wish they'd forget, I see it. But on top of that, I get every emotion, every single blasted emotion that is attached to those memories. And it hurts them, drains the person's energy to have their memories dragged from them and placed front and center inside my mind. It's painful to both of us."

The professor nodded, making a small affirmative noise as he wrote this down on a piece of paper. "And this is everywhere on your skin? If they touch everywhere?"

She shook her head. "Only my palms. That's why I wear my gloves."

The professor nodded again, making a note of this as she finished speaking. "Thank you Irisa. Storm and Logan can show you to your room now."

She nodded, getting to her feet and walking out the door. Storm led her to her room, which happened to be on the third floor known as the "girl's floor".

"You have to have roommates unfortunately. There just isn't enough room for everyone to have their own room. You'll be staying with Rogue, Kitty, and Jubilee. They might be downstairs in the rec. room. If you have any questions please ask."

And then she was left alone.

Sighing to herself Irisa picked up her messenger bag, placing it on her bed and opening it. She would have to unpack if she was ever going to get settled. She paused for a moment, looking around the empty room at the three other beds. They were made neatly; no way a teenager could have put that together. Did the mansion have a cleaning lady?

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as Irisa went back to unpacking, using the small dresser next to her bed. Luckily she didn't bring that many things.

It had been perhaps an hour before her roommates joined her. They stumbled in laughing and giggling as teenagers do. They noticed Irisa and froze in their tracks. One of the girls was the one with the white streaks.

"Hi," said the girl with the streaked hair. She had a slight southern accent. She walked further into the room with the other two in tow. "I'm Rogue. This is Kitty, and Jubilee."

Kitty was a petite girl, with mousy brown hair and a heart shaped face. Jubilee looked Asian, with an oval shaped face and almond shaped eyes. Her hair was black and straight, pulled up into a ponytail with a bright yellow sweatband. Everything Jubilee wore was bright yellow or red.

"Hi," they greeted in unison, waving before sitting on their beds.

"Hi. I'm Irisa," she said, waving with a gloved hand. She noticed that Rogue had long gloves that reached up to her elbows.

"Are you a poison skin too?" Rogue asked, motioning to Irisa's gloves. It took a moment for it to click and Irisa nodded.

"Only in my palms though," she said, holding up her hand to show the fingerless gloves. "Otherwise I'm completely touchable."

"Must be nice," Rogue mumbled, leaning back on her bed and resting her head on the headboard.

"Lucky," said Kitty, who pulled her knees up to her chest. "Rogue can't touch anyone, anywhere. That's why she wears her gloves. Me, I phase through stuff. I can walk through walls and people and all sorts of things."

To demonstrate her point she stood up, walking towards Irisa. Before Irisa could step back, Kitty walked through her. "Woah," Irisa said, shaking her head.

"What about you?" she asked Jubilee. Jubilee shrugged.

"I make energy balls with my hands. I call them paphs."

Irisa nodded, clearly impressed.

"What about you?" asked Kitty, sitting back on her bed. "I know you have poison skin, but… is it taking powers and energy like Rogue?"

Irisa shook her head, she too sitting on her bed with her legs tucked up close. "No. When I touch someone with my palms, I see their memories. The things they can't remember, the things they don't want to remember and everything else in between. I get the emotions that go on with those memories. And it's painful. Terribly painful, to both of us."

The room fell silent as the girls looked at each other. They were unnerved by this piece of information and silently Irisa cursed herself. She might have just scared off her only friends.


	2. Chapter 2

An awkward silence fell over the dorm as Irisa looked around. Rogue had poison skin too, why was Irisa's power so unsettling? It angered the younger girl that they were judging her like that, based on how her powers were different from their friend's.

"Whatever," she sighed, standing up and walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her and walking down the hallway.

She wasn't really watching where she was going. She just let her confusion and hurt drive her as she stormed down the stairs, not knowing where she was headed; only knowing that her feet were leading the way.

When she finally looked up she saw she was in the game room, or the other students referred to as the Rec. Room. No one was in here, which she wanted. Just a moment to gather herself, a moment to think.

She sat on the large couch, falling into the cushions and disappearing from view. She began to play with her fingerless gloves, looking down at them as her eyes teared up. She hated her mutation. Every time she thought that she had come to terms with it someone, somehow, made her hate it again.

She couldn't shake hands with people, couldn't hold hands with people. Not without almost killing them, and almost killing herself. She didn't want to see people's memories. Truth be told she really didn't care. Why would she have this power, out of all the cool powers she could have possibly had?

She heard footsteps come into the room and she sunk further down into the couch pillows, hoping no one would notice her because she still needed to think. Why would they judge her like that? They were her roommates. And Rogue had the same power as she did, only Rogue actually took their powers, took their life force. Irisa only took memories.

"What are you doing here all alone?" a voice came from above her and she jumped, looking above her to see the brown haired boy introduced as John looking down at her with a smirk on his lips.

"Escaping my roommates," she said simply, looking down at her gloved hands in her lap.

He chuckled, moving around the couch and sitting next to her. "Are they that horrible? I mean I know Rogue is no peach but Kitty and Jubilee are okay. What went wrong?"

Irisa looked at him curiously. Did he really want to know? "Nothing really, they're just different than what I expected."

"Way to be vague kitten," he purred, leaning in closer to her. Despite herself a rosy blush climbed to her cheeks and her heart skipped a few beats. "Tell me, really what happened? There are no secrets here, sweetheart, so you might as well spill everything now."

Irisa just looked at him, still confused but this time curious. There were no secrets, but why spill to him? Why him in particular? And why was he tracing small circles on her knee? He wasn't attracted to her he was just a tease. Yes, that must be it. Irisa kept repeating that to herself, trying to get rid of the rosy heat that rose within her chest and the fluttering of butterflies she felt in her stomach.

"I can't touch people, with my palms anyway. If I do, I see their memories. From the first moment they opened their eyes to now. Everything they can't remember, everything they won't remember. Good times and bad times I see it all. And I told this to my roommates and they looked really uneasy. Almost like that they weren't happy with that. I mean, Rogue is more dangerous than I am. Touch her anywhere and you're in trouble. Me it's just my palms. Why would they be so uneasy about it?"

John looked thoughtful for a moment and Irisa couldn't believe that he was actually helping her, thinking of reasons why her roommates would act so strangely.

"Rogue's power is unique," he said slowly, like he was still thinking about his words. "No one else in the mansion has anything like it. Well, no one did. You do now, and Rogue- as much as she hated her mutation- loved how she was different, an individual simply because no one had powers like hers. Maybe they were worried how she'd feel."

Irisa jumped to her feet and looked at him. This couldn't be real. An attractive boy seriously thinking through her roommate problems with her? It just didn't happen; it was almost like a movie. The love was quickened to follow the hour and a half time span.

"I-I have to go," she stuttered, starting to walk out of the room. John got to his feet too.

"Wait, what's wrong?" he asked. He followed her out but all she did was shake her head. He tried to follow her but she turned into a corridor and disappeared. Smirking to himself John shook his head and began walking away. The new girl was an enigma and he liked that.

Irisa found refuge in the broom closet. In all honesty it was the first door she found that was unlocked, and luckily John didn't follow her inside. Leaning her head against the cool wood Irisa sighed.

So Rogue was jealous of her, that she had powers similar to Irisa. Individuality was prized her, Irisa liked that. Her bangs weren't naturally blue; she dyed them like that to be different. That was, before she realized she had powers. When she discovered what she could do, she didn't bother changing her hair color. She liked her bangs being blue.

After a moment Irisa hesitantly opened the closet door, peering left and right down the hallway only to find it empty. Good, she really didn't want to explain why she was hiding in a broom closet. Biting her lip she discreetly slipped out of the closet, silently closing the door behind her.

With equal silence Irisa began up the stairs to return to her dorm room. Hopefully it would be empty now. She couldn't afford to make enemies on her first day. Especially with her roommates. These would be the people she spent most of her time with. And she was supposed to let her guard down and sleep in that room? Had the people in this school gone insane?

Maybe it was only her, she thought as she hesitantly pushed open her dorm room door, glad to find it finally empty. She reached into her dresser and pulled out her pajamas; a pair of black sweat pants and a red t-shirt. She balled them up in her arms as she walked around her bed to the bathroom, which was settled in between her and Rogue's beds.

The bathroom was white, which she expected. White tiles, white curtains, white shower curtains, even white towels, were everywhere. Irisa smiled, she liked how the bathroom was white. The bathroom was were people went to get clean, and white was a very clean color.

She reached into the shower and turned it on, turning the knob so that it was more hot than cold. It was how she always liked it, having hot showers. When she got out of them her skin was always pink. If her skin wasn't pink then the shower wasn't hot enough.

She pulled off her clothes- a black hoodie and black jeans- and let them fall to the floor. Silently she wiggled out of her undergarments and then pulled back the curtain, letting the hot water fall over her shoulders. She sighed happily; glad to have one thing that never changed- a good hot shower ready at her disposal.

She didn't spend too much time washing up like she normally did. Instead she just washed up silently, rinsed off, and then turned off the shower. Glad to be nice and clean she wrapped the towel around her thin frame as she stood in front of the mirror, wiping the steam from it and reaching for her tooth brush.

Her interaction with John earlier was peculiar and she couldn't help but think back on it. He was attractive, she couldn't deny that. But it was like sitting in the back of a classroom and a hot guy walks into the room. You don't pursue every attractive person you see right? But the way he was acting, tracing small circles on her knee almost like he knew a rosy blush was rising to her cheeks. Truth be told Irisa didn't normally get that sort of attention from guys. They all saw her as a freak.

But in a school full of freaks what was she? Even more so a freak? No one had powers like hers, even Rogue didn't. While they were both girls with poison skin, they had two totally different powers. Rogue took life forces. Irisa took memories. The two were completely different.

She spit into the sink and placed her toothbrush back into the medicine cabinet, taking off her towel and wrapping it around her head like a turban to dry off her hair a little bit. She then pulled on her sweatpants and t-shirt, opening the bathroom door to see Rogue sitting on the bed, looking out the window. Inwardly Irisa sighed, going to her bed and sitting on it, pulling the towel off her head and reaching for her brush.

"So, you don't take life forces, you only take memories?" She heard Rogue ask, almost hesitantly. Irisa sat up, running her brush through her hair as she nodded.

"Yes, only memories. It hurts the person because memories are a carefully guarded section of the brain. And when I touch someone I'm ripping through that section with no regard to the protection that might be used to keep those memories safe. Our powers are completely different Rogue. I'm not taking your individuality."

Rogue nodded, smiling, almost like she was relieved. She turned to look back out the window when she looked back, like she found something else to say.

"Did you run into John in the Rec. Room?" Rogue asked, leaning forward on her bed like she was sharing a particularly juicy piece of gossip.

"Yes I did. Why do you ask?"

Rogue then shrugged coyly, like she knew something but wasn't going to share it. "No reason, just curious I suppose."

Irisa looked at Rogue curiously before shaking her head and looking away, grabbing her towel to hang up in the bathroom. "What is there to eat for dinner around here?" she asked from the bathroom, her voice echoing like she was in a cave.

"Well you can eat with everyone else in the dining room, or you can make yourself something special if you don't like what we're serving. Normally meals are left up to the students. Sometimes someone will take pity on those of us who can't cook and will make something for everyone. But it's not a restaurant over here. If you want something special, make it yourself."

Irisa nodded, and grabbed a hair tie, pulling her long hair into a pony tail that swept her shoulder blades. "Thanks. I think I'm going to get something to eat."

Rogue only nodded, that coy smile still on her lips, like she knew something but wasn't going to share it.


	3. Chapter 3

Irisa did the best she could to settle into classes. Kitty and Jubilee had become quite close with the new girl as had Rogue. Since Irisa's little discussion with Rogue about how their powers were different, there had been little to no tension in the room.

One thing Irisa couldn't shake was the look Rogue would give her whenever she was sitting next to or near John. The girl with the poison skin and the fire starter were becoming closer, she couldn't deny that. And with that friendship blooming there was some attraction there, she couldn't deny that either.

The poor girl couldn't stand the Danger Room sessions however. She and Rogue felt quite useless because their powers seemed to be less impressive and less effective than everyone else's. Instead the two girls relied simply on their combative skills, kicking and punching and dodging as best as they could until someone with 'real' powers came along to save them, and then they could move on.

Rogue had discovered Irisa's talent in the language arts, noticing that the girl could write entire essays in only half an hour. Of course they weren't perfect, but error was little to none. Irisa's roommates used this to their advantage, asking Irisa to write their English essays, and in return, do a favor for her.

Irisa honestly didn't ask for much. A few gossip sessions before lights out revealed a crush on John that everyone saw coming. So in return for Irisa's English papers, the girls would play spy and see if John felt the same for her. Things were cloudy, no one could quite tell for sure.

The alarm in the dorm room rang loudly, making each girl jump out of her skin. Irisa was closest to the alarm so she groaned, reaching over and slamming her open palm on the device, shutting it up effectively and rolling back over.

Rogue, perhaps the only morning person in the room, lithely got to her feet, pulling on her gloves before reaching to Jubilee and Kitty and shaking them awake. While the two were rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, Rogue hopped into the shower.

Irisa groaned as it became near impossible to fall back asleep. Kitty and Jubilee had turned on the light so that vision became better. Today was their fieldtrip to the museum and all the girls wanted to take this opportunity to sneak away from the teachers and hang out with their preferred boys away from prying eyes.

Irisa pulled herself up to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Rogue had just come out of the shower and Jubilee leaped in to be the next one in. Reaching for her gloves Irisa pulled them on, afraid to even chance the possibility of touching someone, even by accident. She reached to her bedside table, contemplating on what to wear. Everyone was wearing these slightly dazzling outfits, just enough to show off their best features, but not enough to raise teacher suspicion.

"Wear your skinny jeans and tunic," Kitty said just as Jubilee came out of the shower. Today everyone was taking showers in record time. Luckily Irisa took a shower the night before.

She took out her skinny jeans and tunic and eyed them curiously. "I don't know…"

"Oh come on Irisa," Rogue said as she pulled a brush through her ebony locks. "John's eyes will just about bug out of his head when he sees you in that."

Irisa still looked quizzical, looking over at the chosen outfit once more. Shaking her head she put the tunic away and settled for a My Chemical Romance band tee shirt. This would suit her much better.

Rogue, who witnessed the switch in tops, couldn't help but smile. Irisa could be so innocent sometimes and it amused her. "Are you at least going to wear makeup?"

Irisa let out a chuckle that rumbled in her chest. "Yes I am. Honestly girls if John doesn't like me for who I am I don't think he's worth it."

"Spoken like a true diva," Kitty said, pulling her shirt over her head. "More power to ya. I wish I had confidence like that."

Irisa smiled as she pulled off her pajamas and began changing into her clothes for the day. "It's not confidence Kitty. I don't know what it is, but it isn't confidence. I don't have enough confidence to fill a soup bowl."

This made everyone laugh as they finished changing. Haley pulled on her converse all-stars high tops and laced them up before running the comb through her blue bangs and the rest of her ebony hair.

"Are you going to use eyeliner?" Jubilee asked, wearing the usual bright yellow ensemble and red earrings. "Am I right?"

Irisa laughed. Her roommates knew her well. Almost too well it seemed, but they knew her well nonetheless. "Yes," And black eye shadow, the usual Jubes. No need for experimentation right now."

All three sighed in disappointment. Irisa was always their favorite palate and they always loved playing with colors and styles. Of course this kind of activity was reserved for weekends only and today was just not the day to play.

"Can we do it this weekend?" Kitty asked hopefully. Irisa laughed and nodded, turning on a brighter light so that she could apply her makeup. Perfectly smudged black around her eyes gave her the allure of a vixen, according to Rogue.

Finally the trio was ready, standing facing each other in a small circle, waiting to get approval from the group. Irisa nodded at Rogue, who wore blue jeans and a black peasant top shirt, with her usual gloves and scarf. Her beautiful ivory skin was covered up as much as possible while still being tasteful.

Kitty nodded at Jubilee, who was wearing the usual bright yellow and red combination. There was no changing Jubilee's color coordination. She always wore yellow and red, no excuses. Kitty herself was wearing black jeans and a printed tee shirt, the word Paramore printed across her chest in colorful letters.

"Are we ready?" Rogue asked, adjusting her gloves on her arms. Everyone nodded and Irisa turned to open the door.

"Here we go."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The bus ride to the museum was rather eventful. Her friends, cunning as they are, took up seats with someone else. John's friends did the same, apparently having some sort of ploy going on with the females. All that was left was John and Irisa without seats.

Sparing a death glare towards her friends Irisa slid into a seat on the bus, pulling her knees up close to her chest and leaning her head on the window, facing the bus and John.

"I think they're plotting against us," he said in a stage whisper, making sure they could hear. This made Irisa giggle, nodding her agreement.

"Though what could they possibly gain?" he continued, craning his neck to look back at his friends that were giggling just as madly.

"I have no idea," Irisa said, reaching a hand up and brushing her bangs out of her face.

Thus bus gave a huge roar as it started up, lurching forward dangerously. Everyone was rocked forward, their heads coming dangerously close to the backs of the seats in front of them. Except for Irisa, who merely jostled sideways. Her sitting position allowed little to no movement.

John followed her example; only instead of sitting sideways he was sitting backwards. His back was propped up against the back of the seat in front of them and he crossed his legs in his lap, facing Bobby and Rogue, Kitty and Remy, and Jubilee and Colossus. Rogue was telling a story about her days down south and everyone laughed. The light that shone in everyone's eyes amazed Irisa and she wondered what memories they all had to share.

No, no she couldn't think that. Memories weren't hers to look at, it wasn't her place. Thoughts like these disturbed her, and she bit her lip while she tried to quell the urge. Curiosity did indeed kill the cat, and Irisa didn't want to risk anything and anyone.

John noticed her discomfort and reached for her gloved hand, taking it in his and holding it. "You okay?" he asked in a quiet voice that was unable to be carried through the roar of countless conversations.

"Fine," she lied. "Why?"

"Irisa you are a poor liar. What's the matter?"

She sighed, biting her lip once again. She was curious about his past too. He hardly shared any stories. What little he did share painted a picture of horror. His parents were simply horrible.

"Curiosity is a hard thing to squish," was all she said, taking her hand from his and using it to wrap around her knees along with her other arm, holding her knees even closer to her chest.

John said no more, only looking at her with clouded and confused eyes. She knew he probably didn't understand. He knew that using her power not only hurt the person she used them on, but hurt herself as well. Why would she be curious?

Because she could live through the pain, she could take it and shift it, almost ignore it. Sometimes it was too much and that she would admit. But most of the time she felt no pain, physically at least. She wanted to know everyone's story. But no one was honest with who they were when they've been persecuted for so long. They're hardly the same person. How was Irisa supposed to trust that who she saw was real?

She shook off these feelings and joined back into the conversation, just in time to catch the punch line of one of Bobby's jokes. A smile broke over her features and after a few moments, her dark moment was forgotten and the rest of the bus ride went smoothly.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Most of the students were good little boys and girls, following around Storm, Scott, Jean, and the Professor as they went around the museum, looking at exhibits and learning about the subjects. Storm took the younger students towards the primitive life exhibits, showing them Neanderthals and cavemen.

But Irisa, Rogue, Kitty, and Jubilee weren't good little girls. They sat in the cafeteria with John and Bobby and Colossus, interacting with some human boys about their age.

Irisa nervously fiddled with the elastic of her gloves as the humans began to get hostile.

"Why are you being such a dick?" one asked, with an unlit cigarette between his fingers as he looked at John with angry eyes.

"Yeah why are you being such a dick?" his friend parroted.

John, who was flicking his zippo open and closed smirked, evil and menacing that made the boy's eyes widen but other than that they gave no outward reaction.

"Because I can," John responded finally, flicking the zippo closed and looking at Irisa, catching her gaze in a wink.

The boy with the cigarette sighed, closing his eyes briefly before looking back at John once more.

"Once last time. Can I have a light?" he asked, annunciating each word.

"John why don't you stop showing off?" Bobby asked, looking at Rogue who looked uncomfortable. The boy's friend leered at her, obviously looking down her shirt. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"I can't help it if your girlfriend's getting excited."

"You're the one getting excited."

While Bobby and John were arguing John was flicking his lighter in the habit that he had. Irisa stopped fiddling with her gloves while she carefully watched the two boys. They were rather mean. Smoking in a museum wasn't allowed; the smoke would damage the exhibits.

She saw it happen before it did. The boy with the cigarette reached out, snatching the lighter from John's hand and using it to light up.

"That's real cute," John said, trying to get his lighter back but was blocked by the friend. Both boys smirked in triumph at snatching the cool zippo from John.

Then suddenly the cigarette ignited, a quick burst of flame catching the thief off guard and reeling backwards as his sleeve ignited. John began to laugh but Bobby stepped forward, sending a blast of ice at the boys sleeve putting out the flame.

Then everything froze.

People stopped moving right in their tracks, almost as if someone had pressed pause on their lives, freezing the action right where it was. The seven mutants looked about them, confused, as they were the only ones moving.

"Bobby what did you do?" Rogue asked, stepping forward and placing a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't do it," he said, almost in a whispered tone.

"No," boomed another voice, much deeper. The teenagers looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Professor Xavier wheeled into view. "I did," he finished, looking at the group with disappointment.

"Next time you feel like showing off, don't."

They all blushed and looked at their feet. Even John, who loved showing off and did so whenever he could, looked ashamed. Then again maybe he was just that good of an actor.

Looking back up at the professor they saw his eyes distant, like he wasn't seeing them but something else. Curiously Irisa reached out for him but as she did his eyes turned back to focus.

"We have to leave now," he said, trying his best to sound calm but could not hide the slight panic in his voice.

The students were all rushed out of the museum as calmly as possible, taking their seats on the bus as it roared to life.

"I wonder what the professor's all worried about," Irisa said, no longer able to hold in her curiosity. Having the ability to see memories with just one touch gave her a curious nature. She hated hurting people but she was always so curious.

"Maybe it's something to do with Magneto," Rogue said, who then shuddered as the memory played before her eyes. "I had never experienced something so horrible ever before in my life. Not even when my powers activated."

"Yeah," Bobby agreed. "Knowing that his little blue friend could and has imitated me is just a little creepy."

Irisa looked at John, expecting him to have some sort of output too.

"I think Magneto has a point," he said in a quiet voice. "I mean, come on. Human's hate mutants and vice versa. Playing nice isn't going to get us what we want."

Everyone looked at him horrified. "Hurting people isn't going to get us what we want either," Irisa said in a small voice, speaking both to him and herself, just no one knew it.


End file.
